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MA I L
H A N D L E R
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UPDATE I
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NATIONAL
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I O POSTAL N MAIL
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NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS: 1101 Connecticut Avenue,
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L HANDLERS
A F A N L I U N.W. • Suite 500
UNION
• Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 833-9095
BARGAINING BEGINS Mark A. Gardner Mark A. Gardner Secretary-Treasurer Secretary-Treasurer
John F. Hegarty John F. President Hegarty National National President
T
he National Postal Mail Handlers Union bargaining team met with representatives of the U.S. Postal Service on August 30, 2011 to mark the official start of the collective bargaining process for a successor agreement to replace the 2006 National Agreement which is scheduled to expire on November 20, 2011. “We recognize the tough financial straits in which the Postal Service finds itself,” said National President John Hegarty, “and notwithstanding the unjustifiable actions recently taken by USPS Headquarters in asking Congress to overrule our collective bargaining agreement, we intend to work hard, in good faith, to try to reach an agreement.” Bargaining will continue now, through November 20, as the parties
attempt to come to agreement on the myriad issues, made even more difficult due to recent events. “We are not happy that the Postal Service has tried to abrogate the nolayoff clause through Congressional action, or that the Service has issued ill-advised proposals to pull out of the Federal health and retirement systems” said Hegarty, “but we intend to devote significant time and resources to try and reach a contract that is fair for the hardworking men and women whom we represent, fair for the USPS, and fair for the American mailing public.” The NPMHU will put out periodic updates, in the form of bulletin board postings, as bargaining progresses. Please stay tuned.
National President John Hegarty delivers his statement to open formal contract negotiations with the USPS.
USPS Misfires Even Before Start of Bargaining With less than three weeks to go before the start of bargaining over the terms of the 2011 National Agreement, the Postal Service publicly announced that management is seeking wholesale changes in its collective bargaining agreements. USPS management also decided to try to bypass the NPMHU and other postal unions, by asking Congress to enact legislation that would impose many of its outrageous proposals. Instead of coming to the bargaining table in good faith, management is looking for two bites of the apple. The mentality seems to be: let’s see what we can get through bargaining, and then if we don’t like it, we’ll go to Congress. This might lead one to ask: Has Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker been named the new PMG? On August 11, 2011, the Postal Service announced that it was
seeking to abrogate the no-layoff clause, eliminate the application of the CSRS and FERS retirement systems to postal employees, and end the Postal Service’s coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. And to make matters worse, the Postal Service did not propose these changes at the bargaining table, but instead went straight to Congress to seek these changes by legislation. USPS management has circulated two “white papers” on Capitol Hill and in the press that attempt to justify their actions. Those “white papers” are now posted on the NPMHU web site (www.npmhu.org), and also have been circulated to the Union’s Leadership during a recent National-level meeting (which ironically was held in Wisconsin). Apparently, the Postal Service understands that such draconian proposals have little chance of being
supported by the NPMHU during the current round of national negotiations, so instead the agency decided to ignore its obligation to bargain directly and in good faith with the NPMHU. Such tactics do not suggest that postal management will be adopting an enlightened and cooperative atmosphere during this year’s collective bargaining, but only time will tell. In the meantime, the NPMHU and all of its Local Unions and members are urged to oppose these changes with their elected representatives on Capitol Hill. This end-around by USPS management only reinforces the need for all rank-and-file mail handlers to put pen to paper, and to write to their elected representatives to oppose this foolhardy scheme.
NEW WAGE CHARTS REFLECT $978 COLA The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its July 2011 Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) on Thursday, August 18. Based on this release, the Postal Service has confirmed that there will be a $978 cost-of-living adjustment increase for employees covered under the NPMHU National Agreement effective pay period 20, starting on September 10, 2011.
This translates into approximately forty-seven cents per hour, and will be reflected in paychecks dated September 30, 2011. Reprinted below are the new wage charts—effective beginning on September 10, 2011—that reflect this COLA adjustment, which is the last increase in wages under the expiring 2006 National Agreement.
Mail Handlers (RSC M) Schedule | Effective September 10, 2011 (PP 20-2011) Full-Time Annual Basic Rates Full-Time Regular - Level 4 Step Yearly Hourly BiWeekly Overtime AA 32,973 15.85 1,268.19 23.78 A 37,347 17.96 1,436.42 26.94 B 42,845 20.60 1,647.88 30.90 C 45,446 21.85 1,747.92 32.78 D 49,271 23.69 1,895.04 35.54 E 49,577 23.84 1,906.81 35.76 F 49,893 23.99 1,918.96 35.99 G 50,197 24.13 1,930.65 36.20 H 50,511 24.28 1,942.73 36.42 I 50,819 24.43 1,954.58 36.65 J 51,136 24.58 1,966.77 36.87 K 51,441 24.73 1,978.50 37.10 L 51,754 24.88 1,990.54 37.32 M 52,063 25.03 2,002.42 37.55 N 52,373 25.18 2,014.35 37.77 O 52,681 25.33 2,026.19 38.00 P 52,994 25.48 2,038.23 38.22
Please Post!! 66301_MH_UpdateAug11.indd 1
Full-Time Regular - Level 5 Step Yearly Hourly BiWeekly Overtime AA 34,519 16.60 1,327.65 24.90 A 38,895 18.70 1,495.96 28.05 B 44,769 21.52 1,721.88 32.28 C 47,440 22.81 1,824.62 34.22 D 50,023 24.05 1,923.96 36.08 E 50,357 24.21 1,936.81 36.32 F 50,696 24.37 1,949.85 36.56 G 51,021 24.53 1,962.35 36.80 H 51,358 24.69 1,975.31 37.04 I 51,696 24.85 1,988.31 37.28 J 52,028 25.01 2,001.08 37.52 K 52,359 25.17 2,013.81 37.76 L 52,690 25.33 2,026.54 38.00 M 53,029 25.49 2,039.58 38.24 N 53,364 25.66 2,052.46 38.49 O 53,693 25.81 2,065.12 38.72 P 54,027 25.97 2,077.96 38.96
Part-Time Regular and Flexible Employees Hourly Basic Rates - Level 4 (Part-Time Regulars) (Part-Time Flexible) Step Hourly Step Hourly AA 15.85 AA 16.49 A 17.96 A 18.67 B 20.60 B 21.42 C 21.85 C 22.72 D 23.69 D 24.64 E 23.84 E 24.79 F 23.99 F 24.95 G 24.13 G 25.10 H 24.28 H 25.26 I 24.43 I 25.41 J 24.58 J 25.57 K 24.73 K 25.72 L 24.88 L 25.88 M 25.03 M 26.03 N 25.18 N 26.19 O 25.33 O 26.34 P 25.48 P 26.50
August 2011
8/31/11 8:44 PM